I was lucky to be here.
To think, a mere peasant boy would be standing in the hall of a KING! My mum would never believe this! So much had happened this year, with the sickness in the early spring, and then the war getting so close that the Rangers used our house as a staging ground before beating the elves back… and then my mum, I can’t believe it.
The all too familiar sickness caused his stomach to churn and he tightened up his stance, standing up taller before taking a deep breath.
It’s time to be strong. I am here, I must make a new life for myself.
Young Eldin was a boy of no particular regard, a peasant, indeed, having by chance bumped into one of the King’s couriers and somehow getting invited to apply for the job of servant-boy in Castle Taria’s most prestigious place, the home of the King himself.
Standing in the empty hall at just a few hours past midnight, it was an odd time to be summoned to any place but as he stood before an empty throne, he was happy to have one good thing happen this year.
There was a creak of a door someplace out of sight and a man with a black coat emerged with several other servant boys in the distance. They were carrying a large brown crate from what Eldin guessed was the kitchen, moving with haste to another door. They paused for a moment as the man in the black coat fumbled with his keys, moving between several silver keys and placing the golden one into the lock of the door.
Eldin smiled but the other boys did not return a smile and though the man with the black coat looked towards him, he neither smiled nor frowned. The man shut the door and locked it again, himself, heading back toward the kitchen.
“Master Eldin,” a voice said behind him.
Eldin snapped back to standing tall while a plump man in red robes made his way in a grandiose spin.
“Welcome to our happy halls,” the man jovially laughed.
Eldin bowed, “Good to be here, sir.”
The man placed the tips of his fingers together and nodded, “Good, good. You were one of a few that made their mark to take this task, but I knew your mother, boy. Though we cannot take in all orphans, I made special pleads to the King on the matter.”
“My mother would have liked that,” Eldin said.
“That she would’ve. I am Chanlur, that is also my title. You see, we have a special job here and as you may have guessed, you will not be working in the forefront of the King. Your work shall be in the hours after dinner and up to morning tea.”
Eldin expected something like this. There was no way a lowborne boy of his station would be an actual royal servant. Still, this beat living in a burned out house or worrying about a random elf killing him in the woods. In fact, to know that he was serving the King who had protected the Taria Highlands from the elven incursions just added to the honor he felt to be standing in the castle.
“Come, I will show you to your quarters.”
Quarters? I get my own quarters?
Eldin tried to hide the smile crossing his face as Chanlur motioned him to follow. They ascended a stairwell just behind the King’s throne.
Up on the second level, he saw a woman standing beside an ornate door. Eldin slowed to stare when Chanlur jerked him by the sleeve of his tunic.
“No. You do not even look that way at one such as her. Keep your focus this way.”
Eldin resisted the thought of looking back and as they made their way down another corridor, he stole a single glance more. Realizing another woman was now standing with the first one. This one had dark hair as opposed to the first one that was blonde. He looked back to see Chanlur fidgeting with a door lock and hurried to catch up.
“Apologies, Eldin. You see, the King’s quarters are guarded by more than just mere castle guards. I’d advise you neither converse with or look at the King’s women. If they are outside that door, then they are his. There are few rules you must know but above all, do not mix yourself with the King’s property.”
Property? Eldin thought, You cannot own people. He wasn’t so daft that he didn’t know of the brothels in town or other less than honorable women as his mother had deemed them, but the King actually owned women?
This was a strange revelation for him.
Chanlur opened the door to a dark, barren room. Eldin couldn’t see anything in the blackness and the small candle burning on the table behind them did not give off enough light to help.
Chanlur took the candle and entered the room, lighting a small lamp sitting on a wooden desk. As Eldin entered, he noticed that it was filled only with a single bed and a simple red robe, much like Chanlur’s own.
“You will get changed. Your robe will signify you as one of mine. There are a small handful of others like you but they are in the King’s estates across Taria and one who lives in Michranok, the dwarven capital. All work for the glory of the King but it is here, that your work will be most important. You will meet the King formerly tomorrow night. Until then, I advise you get some rest, and remain in this room. I do not need to tell you that your position here is of upmost importance but I cannot have you roaming about. The King is rather angry over the loss of a good elvish bow to some deserting Ranger captain and between that and issues with apple shipments, he is rather touchy.”
Chanlur bowed to him, moving out of the door and leaving it just ajar.
“Those must be really good apples,” Eldin joked, causing Chanlur to look back in.
“The best, young master, the best.”
Eldin had struggled to sleep. Partially, due to the newness of where he was and the luck in his position, partly nerves. The air of the Castle was oddly unsettling. There was a sense of something amiss in this place that he couldn’t quite grasp.
He emerged from his room sometime mid-morning and though he knew he was supposed to remain in the room, he found that there was a door just off to the side from where he had been stowed by Chanlur. Even from several paces away, he could smell the sea. He had noticed that while there was the occasional servant he could hear moving down the hallway, few if any, ever went this way. While there were other doors around him, none seemed to have been opened in some time. In fact, he wasn’t sure if they could even be opened anymore; this was not a part of the castle that was normally used.
Eldin took hold of the circular ring and pulled at the door. The hinges creaked and rust snapped, the door was encrusted with weeds and dirt on the outside.
This door IS really rarely used.
The vast expanse of the Glacial Seas met him and a frigid wind blew into the castle corridor. He took a deep breath, filling his chest with the salty air. Stepping out onto a small stone balcony that was cracked and broken, he took the chance to get a better view of the waters below. He had always dreamed of adventure on the open oceans, to live a life beyond that of his old life. But now, he was part of the castle. He would build a life here and that was what mattered.
“Aye! Open the damn door, these apples are nearly spoilt!”
The voice screaming from somewhere below startled Eldin. He fell back into the darkness and then realized the shouting wasn’t toward him. He carefully looked back out from the door and noticed a series of docks far below and many ships at port. There was a long line of men moving up along a pathway that went into a passageway just below him.
“Get the apples in, now! The King has been waiting.”
This King has a thing for apples.
But this wasn’t a concern for him. Perhaps, later, he’d at least meet the King when he was in a better mood than Chanlur had expressed several hours ago.
He returned to his room. Sitting on the bed he began to think of how odd it was that he had taken a job that only had him actually working in any form in the hours when the King and most of the others of the castle, were asleep. Though, he had to admit he didn’t know what living and working in a castle required. He sighed, leaning back against the stone wall of his dark room and realized there was a small bit of light coming in from a rock above him.
He stood up, using the bed as a platform to try to reach the stone.
It was just out of reach. He went to the small desk and picked up one of the unused candlesticks. Returning to his bed, he began attempting to tap the light source above him. But as he managed to flick a piece of rock out of the way, he fell unconscious.
Eldin awoke in a cold sweat. Sitting up, he glanced around his dark room and felt a warmness pass over him. He tried to stand but his knees quivered and he took several deep breaths. This had been happening since the night his mother died. He only wished he would have been awake sooner that night… perhaps, it could have made a difference.
No one can understand the feeling of waking in the blood of a loved one.
But ever since, his mind would recreate the scene in some fantastical display of happenings a caricature of clichés. He never even saw her killer yet in his own vision he had seen a hooded man, a wild goblin, and a maniacal fairy. All odd and none more likely than the next. The town guards seemed little more than disturbed that they had to move a body and him? Well, the streets simply gained another orphan.
There was a knock at his door, a soft tapping that told him it was time.
He opened the door to find Chanlur with a torch. His new master looked him over several times.
“Are you ill?”
Eldin swallowed and smacked his lips. His mouth was dry. He wiped a rogue trickle of sweat from his brow and shook his head.
“I’m okay, I just had a nightmare.”
Chanlur stared for a few moments and then motioned for him to follow. As they walked down an otherwise silent hallway, Eldin concentrated on the rubbing of Chanlur’s robes as the man walked.
“The King had a rough day. He requires much in the realms of his own needs but he wishes to meet you, first.”
“What need could a King have?”
Chanlur looked back at him, pausing mid-walk. “Be mindful of such questions and do not bellow them to the one who has taken you in. The King has needs that none of us could ever understand. Also, he needs more wine.”
They detoured from the direct path to the throne room. There was a small passageway that connected two long hallways and a wooden door about midway down the passage. Chanlur opened the door and Eldin noticed there were several large bottles of blue liquid. The glass of the bottles were unlike any he had ever seen getting thrown out of the tavern near his house.
“Elvish wine,” Chanlur said. “The King might claim he hates elves but he sure as Vankou doesn’t mind drinking their wine.” He pointed at a bottle. “Grab this, quick. We will take it to the King.”
Eldin reached down and took hold of the neck of one of the bottles. It was at that moment, he felt Chanlur grab him by his shoulder.
Eldin jumped, looking back at Chanlur, focusing into his master’s eyes. Eldin was afraid but at the realization of that fear, he felt energy growing around his head. A seething heat grew within him and he jerked away.
Chanlur took a step back from him. “You recoil yet I have not harmed you. Why?”
Eldin began to breathe fast yet at the same time, his vision focused around his master. He could see every nuance movement, the rise and fall of his breathing. As the warmness within him subsided, Chanlur didn’t pry at all.
“Come on, before I deem this all pointless.”
Eldin smiled yet he caught himself not understanding why. He moved forward, following Chanlur with the bottle of wine in hand.
He swallowed a noxious spit and prepared himself to meet the King.
Though he had seen the throne room many times, in almost every occasion it had been empty. This time, however, he emerged into an odd situation. The King was not sitting upon his throne as Eldin expected. No, this was not some proud King ruling over his subjects, this man barely seemed like he wanted to be there at the moment. While it was late and to be expected, Eldin assumed he would either be drunk at this hour or simply tired. But the King, leaning on to his right fist, lazily slumped to his side, just stared as an emissary from some faraway place rattled on.
Chanlur stopped him just to the left the King as the emissary continued to plea.
"Your war continues to ravage the lands and there is much talk of the end of your conquest. Can you give me something to take to my Lord, either a promise that the war will be over soon or something in the form of penance for the trouble and the fear you have brought to our mountain villages?"
If Eldin was to notice anything that stood out about the King it was that he had a small entourage of women around him. Though they varied in age greatly from some about his mother's age to some possibly not much older than him.
The King growled as he stared at the man begging before him and instead of answering the emissary and providing some word of comfort or promise of bountiful payment, he simply stared at his women up and down, scanning their bodies.
The emissary looked as if he wanted to speak again but just before he did, the King put a single finger up to his lip, pointed directly at him. "You tell your King and your Queen and the proud lords of the Valley, and all of your little squeamish friends that when I am done with the elves, they shall have their peace. I have my own problems and my own serfs, I will not start wondering what neighboring kingdoms are worried of. Tell your King that and I must get back to," he looked at one of the women next to him, "more important things. Unlike him, I do not fill my bed with a grotesque pig."
The emissary stared, looking as if he wanted to say something in protest to what he was just told but instead, firmly backed away in turn to leave the castle.
As the King fumbled about to his side searching for what Eldin was sure was the rogue bottle stuffed near one of his fat rolls, Chanlur bowed and stepped forward.
"My King," he said, "I present to you Eldin, my new servant. He has been fulfilling his role just as expected and in fact has brought you a worthy gift."
Chanlur motioned for Eldin to come up, of course, the gift being the fresh bottle of Elvish wine.
Eldin was meeting the King, something he always dreamed of doing but sadly as he approached this lump of a man with crumbs on his chin and heavy eyes from the excessive amount of alcohol already slammed down his throat, Eldin couldn't help but be let down.
"Come now, boy, the King bellowed, "hand over that wine so I may quench my thirst and prepare myself for my other thirst."
Eldin handed over the wine and the King snatched it up, popping the cork almost in a single motion of his hand and took a large swig. He wiped his mouth pointing at Eldin.
"Chanlur, are you sure this boy can do the task that must be done. Your last one was not the greatest. Wasn't he the one that jumped from the cliffs into the ocean?"
"I am, and no, that was the one before that. The last one tripped and fell down the stairs and landed on your sword, as I was told."
The King nodded, "Oh, yes. I remember that one. He was a weird boy. He always seemed to be trembling."
Eldin stepped forward, bowing but speaking quite out of turn, "I will not be like that boy, my Lord."
The King belched, "Good, you must make sure that all are well fed yes, well fed. But it is always a worry when dealing with such sensitive things as apples and those that eat them.” He pointed at Eldin, “You must be careful, as should those that handle them before the get here… some were badly bruised in the last transport. You can't help but to wonder if the Rusis is purposefully hurting them. I wonder if he is slamming my apples against the castle wall?" He shook his head, "the Rusis aren't so bright, you know?"
At that moment, the man that Eldin had seen leading the group of people to the locked door, emerged from behind the King's throne. The tall man with dark eyes had a hood over his head that further darkened his face. He simply stood with his arms crossed, staring out.
The King looked over the side at the man that just emerged and jokingly jumped, "You can't just walk up on people. You are a freak of this world. Do not forget it, Rusis."
This Rusis said nothing. He almost seemed like he wasn't even aware that he was standing there, a mindless drone, perhaps.
At that moment, the door on the far end of the castle slammed open and a disheveled warrior ran in, partially limping but dropping to his knees before the King.
"Sire, we have discovered that the one you paid the take care of your problem with the Ranger has fallen! The Ranger got away."
The King stood up nearly stumbling and bellowed, "I paid the price of three good heifers to that man of magic! He said this would be an easy quarry! How did a homesick Ranger kill what was one of the greatest casters," The King collapsed back to his chair hyperventilating, slamming his fist over and over on the adorned wooden arm of his throne. He took several swigs of his wine and motioned for his women to begin touching him on his stomach and rubbing his head. They did so without question. "I'm going to need much more than this, my ladies. Come, it is late, we will retire to my quarters. I just can't deal with bad news such as this. I need, I need more!"
As the King stood up, stumbling as he did so once again, women assisted him toward the stairwell that led up to his quarters. Chanlur knelt and Eldin did the same as the King and his harem left the throne room in silence.
Chanlur looked at Eldin, "Good, you met the King. Now onto more pressing matters. I will take you to get the apples and you can see more of what you need to see.
They went directly to the kitchen. It was on the same level as the throne room, down a short hallway and to the right through an open passageway. Here, Eldin noticed that a large oven and several black kettles were on one side of the rectangular room. On the other, a flat slab of stone with mixing bowls and random root vegetables. It was early winter and the fall harvest had been bountiful for both commoner and royal alike.
At this hour of course it was rather quiet, though there was a small window which was ajar and wind was whistling into the stone room. Chanlur and Eldin went to a backdoor in the corner of the room that led down three stairs to another room. It was a storeroom of sorts.
Chanlur ended up going to yet another door and opened it slightly looking outside. Eldin looked in the crack of the open doorway and could see starlight.
Chanlur shut the door again and looked at Eldin, “That leads down to the harbor. One of two that we have here in the castle. Our main supplies come through here, directly up the side of the cliff and into here, one of several storerooms but this is where you need to be concerned.
The apples, a fruit talked about frequently before now, were nothing but a single bag not much larger than what one might need to feed four to six people a hefty serving of potatoes.
Eldin took the bag, surprised. It didn’t even way that much.
“These apples are all we need,” Chanlur said, “Come.”
They exited the kitchen, heading back into the throne room. He was curious to where they were going but his curiosity would not be necessary for long. Much to his surprise they went to the door where he had seen the Rusis lead the people before.
It was in this moment that Chanlur revealed he had a key to this place and Eldin couldn't shake an odd sadness and unknowing that he felt growing in his chest as the door was unlocked. Chanlur opened the door and a cold draft came up the circular stairwell that led into the darkness. But then, Eldin felt the warmness overtake him he had felt before. His heart rate began to pound in his chest and though he could feel himself sweating, for some reason, he relished as they descended down the rather dark stairwell.
The air did not smell as the rest of the castle at all. It was moldy, almost sour, like old milk mixed with dirt.
At the bottom of the stairwell, they came to a large wooden door which was not locked the first door, but was braced with many silver latches.
Chanlur opened this, too, leading to a strange hallway with simple silver boxes not much larger than Eldin's hand. While this was a dark place, the glowing stones high above his head gave just enough light for him to see the gleam of silver boxes in the otherwise dark stone room.
Chanlur looked down at him, "Your task in this castle is not to serve the king directly but to feed his Twilight unicorns. We keep them down here seeing as they hate sunlight. We breed them and sell them to places far away. Yes, you are going to feed unicorns. A lonesome task, it is a sad truth that you cannot look upon them. You will never get to see their beauty but I assure you that the beauty you expect is not what you would see."
Chanlur went to the first of the silver doors. But calling them doors was a mistake to be sure they were more like simple boxes. Chanlur opened it and motioned for the bag Eldin held to his side.
"One apple to each one every day. That is more than enough."
As Chanlur reach into the sackcloth bag and pulled out the apple, he used his other hand to unlatch the silver box and set the apple inside it. He closed the box and Eldin heard the apple roll down and bounce several times before getting to its destination where the unicorn was.
"Is this enough food for a full-grown unicorn? I understood that they’re larger than your typical horse. I just expected them to need more food than this."
"You should not ask such questions, boy. You an expert with unicorns? Have you scribed your own parchments on the care of unicorns?"
Eldin stared, blinking. He thought this was perhaps a rhetorical question, but it seemed Chanlur wanted an answer.
"I," he wasn't really sure what to say. He just thought that perhaps unicorn would need more food than a typical horse, "I don't know about unicorns. Just what I’ve heard about horses and stories."
Chanlur stared at him.
"Okay, then you will feed each one apple and there will be no question. It is also important that no matter what you hear or think you hear that you just do your job. Do not bother the King or anyone else with your simple questions. In time your purpose will be more realized."
Eldin couldn't help but begin to feel sick again but the moment he did, the warmness returned to his chest. He didn’t know why but he felt himself want to laugh as he moved from silver box to silver box, opening them up and dropping a single apple. He began to think of the majestic unicorn having but one apple to eat a day. He didn't know why but it made him happy. As he thought about it more, he moved quicker, thinking of each of the majestic animals single ration. He began to feel the power of such act within his body. He never considered himself a cruel person by any means, but to think about the majestic unicorn, the defender of elves, the great mount of wizards, under the thumb of a mere servant boy…
But he shook the thought of this, because it did seem cruel. But that really did not bother him like he figured it should. Besides, this was a simple task, a job that needs to be done.
As he got to the twenty fifth or twenty sixth box, he realized that his bag of apples was exactly the number he needed to feed to the unicorns. He looked back to Chanlur.
"Have you not seen the unicorns?"
"I have," Chanlur said, "but unicorns like these are more for royal eyes, not for those of the commoner. I assure you it is not as beautiful as you may think, none of them."
Standing there for just a moment, suddenly Eldin caught whiff of a horrible, gut wrenching smell. He looked around, checking his boots to see if perhaps he had stepped in something but couldn't quite find the source of the smell. Chanlur sniffed the air, catching what Eldin smelt.
Chanlur stared at Eldin for just a few moments. Eldin had not seen his master show any real emotion at any point before this but he seemed to be sad. It was an odd revelation, quickly assumed to be incorrect as a cross glare made Eldin think that perhaps Chanlur was not at all sad after all.
"Wait here," he said with a growl.
Chanlur immediately turned and continued down to the opposite end of the hall they were standing in. Here, there was a dark door that Eldin couldn’t even tell was there until it was opened. A few moments passed and his master returned.
"Not for royal eyes or a royal site. No, boy, but you were picked for this role. Come see the unicorn."
Eldin noticed there was almost a hint of sarcasm in his tone. It was odd because generally, his master was straight forward with his language.
He proceeded to follow his master, passing through the doorway and down to yet another passage where a great and wide pool of water spread out from the passageway. It seemed that this is the second dock that Chanlur had mentioned when they were getting the apples from the kitchen earlier. There were a handful of small torches along the wall but whether they were lit by attendants or some type of arcane fire, Eldin couldn’t tell.
But here, he could smell the salty ocean just on the other side of the rocks of this cavernous place. Chanlur walked past several storerooms and the closer they got to what seemed to be a space beneath the room with the silver boxes were, Eldin began to sense that these were no unicorns but something else. There were bindings and broken ropes everywhere. These were far too small for unicorns.
They came to a silver gateway where the smell became horrific. Chanlur pushed open the gate and motioned for Eldin to follow.
This place was nothing but a long line of cold metal gateways, not a stable as he expected. Nothing about this place seemed fit for unicorns or horses, or any other animals. It was dark here and though Eldin wanted to see more of the unicorns that is not what he saw in the cage closest to him. Within the cell was no horse, no grand beast with a great horn, no creature of magic, not anymore at least. It was a person. A woman or as he stared and realized, an elf.
Chanlur looked at him, "You see, this dear unicorn has died. We must remove it and make room for another."
Chanlur spoke to him in a very stoic voice. Not of sadness, not of anger, just of the pure need for their task to be completed. He opened the cell and Chanlur began to drag the body.
This isn’t a person. No.
He went to the woman’s feet, he tried to put it out of his mind. Lifting them up, her skin tore from just the weight of her body. It seemed that this unicorn needed more than one apple per day, or perhaps she had been here that long. It was hard to tell. But this wasn't the first time that Eldin had seen a dead body.
He couldn’t deny it but he still tried to.
This is a unicorn. This is a unicorn.
As he carried this woman wrapped in simple drapes of cloth from her place of death and out towards the harbor, if you could even call the shallow waters that would become her resting place a harbor, he wondered how many others have been taken this way. At the same time, he thought of his mother, seeing her lay there on the floor of his house covered in blood. Her attacker having escaped, not even blamed for the crime he had committed. But strangely, the feeling he had before, the shock and the anguish, vanished. As he carried this woman down the dock and tossed her body into the water, he felt no remorse.
The sadness has faded. It is strange that I feel nothing over the death this woman. Wait, I’m mature. I am becoming a man. I should not feel sadness, no. Chanlur is fine. I am fine.
He wondered of the bruised apples spoken about before. Perhaps, it wasn’t the apples as he had fed to these people that was referenced but that the apples themselves and the people that eat them… were the same in the eyes of the King.
Though he wanted to be sad and though he knew he should have been, he felt nothing but the warmness growing greatly with his chest. Chanlur looked at him and then looked back to the water.
"This happens. It's been happening more and more. Normally, I do not reveal such a thing to a mere servant boy such as yourself but you're different. You understand.”
Eldin smiled just a little bit. He didn't even realize he was smiling until he saw that Chanlur was staring at him strangely.
"Of course," Chanlur said, "This is a mere servant girl of the castle, she must've locked herself in accidentally and died."
Servant girl? Oh, servant girl. That makes sense. Of course, the King would not keep women in a cage beneath the castle and feed them apples. That would make no sense at all.
Eldin smiled slightly again and he heard Chanlur sigh.
Too Eldin’s surprise, Chanlur knelt down making a motion with his hand from his forehead down to his lips, kissing his own hand before releasing the kiss seemingly over the water and in a form of blessing for the body of the dead woman.
"May Etha guide you to the light, may death claim only your bones and not your soul."
Chanlur had said a prayer for the dead servant girl. At first, Eldin thought nothing of it but then he felt a great sickness in his stomach once again. He winced in pain rubbing his side feeling as if he was about to vomit.
Chanlur looked at him, "That smell has gotten to you, boy. Hasn’t it?"
Eldin wasn't sure but he nodded anyway.
"That is understandable, it nears the hour of dawn. Get back to your room and lay down, there is not much else for us to do here. And you will do the same tomorrow night. That is your task here, boy. Feed the unicorns and if you smell something strange, you let me know. You are not to come down here without my permission. Now, go up to the kitchen. They will have your food ready. You are quite lucky, remember that. You are eating even before the King.”
Eldin wasn't sure what to make of his new task and his new life in the castle as a servant. Though, he didn't really know what to expect. Besides, he was just some orphan now. He had a simple task which consisted of feeding the apples and if he smelled something strange, letting his master know. In return, he had the safety of the castle and how many other orphans could say they lived in the castle?
He was quite lucky.
He returned to the main castle floor as he was instructed. Going to the kitchen, a servant set him out a broth of some kind with a portion of boiled meat and a handful of carrots.
“You feelin’ sick?” the servant asked.
“Just a bit.”
The servant nodded to him and went to a jar on a shelf near one of the cauldrons. He pulled out a small green herb of some kind.
“Easy medicine. It will calm your stomach.”
He took the herb but as he walked to his room he realized he needed no herb or elven magic or anything else to heal him.
He simply thought back to the body, the dead cold corpse that he had moved and disposed of with his master. The sickness wasn’t from the smell or the sight of the dead. In fact, he was feeling better already. He relished thinking over and over about the body and how it reminded him of his own mother. He would dream, he hoped, of more pleasant things.
Eldin awoke refreshed unlike he had in several days. Though he had simply slept for a while because the moment he went to his door he found that Chanlur was already standing there.
"I thought I would need to keep knocking,” his master said. "But since you're awake I'll let you know I need you to feed the unicorns now. I have business to attend to elsewhere but now that you've done it once I am confident you can do it on your own. Chanlur passed him a key. This key is tied to your life.," He told him, "If you lose this key you lose your life. It is a most precious job you have here in the castle to keep the unicorns well fed. Remember, though, only one apple."
Eldin stared at the slightly rusty metal object. It was like he had been given a present. The thought that he was worthy to hold such an item and have the power he had where before he was just a mere orphan, brought a real smile to his face.
Chanlur departed well ahead of him as Eldin slipped on his boots and thought of the night ahead. To be honest it didn't take that long to feed the unicorns. He figured he could do that and come back in to stand on the balcony where he actually saw an upper level of the castle and considering he had a key to the lower he wondered if he could access some of doors in the upper.
Though, perhaps, that was a bit too much. He didn't want to anger anyone. The strangest part of this castle is that there were fewer guards and he expected. Sure, there were guards outside the castle and on the walls and throughout the city itself but within the castle itself there were really not that many guards at all.
He knew there were two to three at the main doorway of the throne room, and of course, there was the shadowy man with the cloak, the Rusis. But he had not ever seen the Rusis holding a sword or other object. He understood that Rusis did use magic and needing an actual weapon is pointless for one such as that.
He made his way to the kitchen, surprised to see that one of the kitchen staff was actually still present. Though the feeble man looked up as he pushed the broom, directly staring at Eldin, he quickly averted his gaze and turned sweeping faster.
Much like before, there was a sack of apples. He swung the bag over his shoulder and backed out of the kitchen and to the doorway that led down to the hall of silver boxes.
It was quite strange to not see many others but that was his task. His task was not to entertain guests or to spin some wondrous story like a babbling bard. He was the castle's unicorn feeder and that was what he was going to do.
But as he got to the door and prepared to unlock it, there was shouting and though he could not make out the words, he could hear the King's voice. The King was angry.
Still, as the clamor got closer he noticed there was an elf walking into the throne room but away from the King and the Rusis.
It seemed the King had been speaking to them outside and instead of the elf being told to leave the elf was coming into the throne room, no, was fleeing into the throne room. Apparently, trying to hide behind the throne itself. Eldin stood there blinking, watching as the elf hid behind the throne and both the King and the Rusis approached. The King had a sword out and was pointing it directly at the cowering elf.
"You cannot hide from me, or my pet here. I do not know why you try to run away like you do. No excuse is good. The last batch of apples was horrible. Three of them have rotted. We can't be having this. We can't have subpar results. You know how much I pay?"
As the king came around the throne the elf who had no weapon or object of magic, tried to run. The King swung his sword, just missing the man's neck. The elf tripped and fell before the Rusis who grabbed him by the back of his cloak dragging him into the center of the throne room.
Eldin knew he should just go back to his duties but instead he crept up to the edge of the throne looking around as the Rusis held the elf down. The King went to thrust his sword into the elf but it seemed the King had been drinking too much and he missed. Instead, he simply struck the elf’s arm. The elf cried out, blood pouring out from the wound. The King cleaned his blade on the elf’s robe, stumbling about as he did.
"Rusis, deal with this." The King said plainly.
The Rusis threw the elf onto the ground who though bleeding and holding his arm lifted up another hand begging for the Rusis to have mercy. But just as before, the Rusis, almost in a daze, simply lifted both of his own hands summoning flames within his palms and engulfing the elf in fire, bringing about an agonizing death to the already suffering soul. But the Rusis didn't stop at the mere silencing of his victim, he continued to burn the elf, his body becoming blackened until there was nothing but an ashy mess upon the ground.
Eldin returned to his duties. The dealings of the King and the Rusis were not his business. He began his simple task of delivering the apples to the unicorns. He was about to open the twentieth latch when he swore he heard crying.
It was strange for a unicorn to be crying but in the back of his mind he knew these were not unicorns he was feeding. Though he did not smell any bad stench and thus had no reason to tell his master, he was curious of the crying.
Though if it was more so to relish in the fact that something was crying or to help someone that needed it he wasn't too sure. He did not understand his own emotions regarding this.
He also wasn’t sure it was coming from somewhere below him where the unicorns were.
Perhaps, another servant girl?
Still, he went to the door leading out to the harbor, which would have been much to the dismay of his master had his master been watching. But then the crying stopped.
He thought to go take a deeper look at the unicorns, but this was beyond the scope of his ordained task. There was no chance that anyone was dead or at least not one he could smell. But as he stood there just off the docks where they disposed of the dead servant girl before, he could hear something in the water. He went back up to the door just out of sight. What ever it was, it was coming in. At that point he realized that indeed there was a ship coming up to dock.
In a few moments, the ship came to rest against the wooden docks. He saw his master emerge from the darkness of another portion of the subterranean caverns. He knew he probably shouldn't but he decided to go ahead and reveal himself to his master. Yes, of course his master's business was not his own. But he could hear his master was angry.
He might need me. Or, maybe there is an issue.
As he headed to the docks it seemed that the ship had no flag of any sort and did not have a crew of the King's men but men just simply wearing silver robes, he realized he'd not seen a ship like this before.
As Eldin approached, Chanlur lifted his hand.
“Stay.”
Eldin stopped. A few moments passed the man in silver boarded his ship again. As the ship moved away from the dock, Chanlur jerked his gaze towards Eldin.
"I told you not to come this way. I have no idea why you're here. There was no reason for you to come down here, none. Why would you come to this place? Hear something else did you? I told you that was a servant girl. Why would you come down here again? Why would you come down here?"
The barrage of questions shocked Eldin. He wasn’t too sure what else to say.
"I apologize, master."
Chanlur looked back as the ship left the dock and vanished into the blackness.
"Go, go back to your room and await me there. There is much going on in the castle…” he paused, “Very much… perhaps, there is much that we should talk about. I did not take you just because you were some lone orphan. I will explain more to you soon. You have delivered the apples as you were supposed to, correct?" Eldin nodded.
"Okay, that is good. I apologize for my anger but there is much… at risk. Await me in your room, and I assure you I’ll explain more. But do tell me the truth now. Why did you come down here?"
"I thought I heard crying,” Eldin said.
"Okay."
The conversation was short and strange. He expected Chanlur to say something else but he didn’t.
Eldin made his way as he knew back into the castle. He emerged from the door that led from where he fed the unicorns, back up the stairs to the throne room. He was met by a not-so-friendly face. The Rusis glared down at him. Behind him, there was a long line of females. Many of these were crying and a few had bruises on their faces. Worse, some of them were quite young, younger than even he, and he had seen fifteen winters.
"Move,” the Rusis said plainly.
Eldin went to get out of their way when he saw that one of the women, though bound by her hands with lashes covering her arms, began to run. She dashed across the throne room, doing anything she could to get away.
Eldin wasn’t sure what to do, he thought to call the guards but before he could do it, the Rusis sent a blast of crackling lightning from his hand directly into the fleeing girls back, dropping her to the ground.
His spell bounced from her head, down her body, curling out of her right foot. A smoking, smoldering form remained. Even from a distance, Eldin could tell she was dead.
He did not dare to even look at the Rusis again. He simply returned to his room as he was told. There was much going on in the castle and he did not want to be mistakenly taken as someone that was causing the trouble. As he sat in the darkness of his room he glanced at the source of the small bit of light shining down.
The light took his focus. He thought about it, he thought of the light he had seen on his first night here and how it felt when he saw it. Now, he enjoyed the darkness. Though he didn't know if that was the purpose of this room, break or alter him, so that he could feel as he felt now… something about him had changed.
He was cool yet warm at the same time. He tried to think of the sunlight and the happiness in his life. To think of his mother’s face and the life she built for them, he could not. He didn’t think he had ever been happy. Not like now, now with the purpose he felt. Though, at the same time, it was not a big purpose whatsoever.
It was not too long until Chanlur came into the room. He did not knock, he simply entered, sighed, and sat beside Eldin on his bed.
"With so much transpiring in the darkness beyond this place. I must ask you, why did you go to the sound of the crying? Would you seek to do something about it? To help them?"
"I thought it was a unicorn, perhaps hurt. But as I got closer there was nothing."
“You lie, badly, I might add."
There was a long silence. Finally, Chanlur put his hand on Eldin’s shoulder and though it should have been an active comfort to him, it wasn't. In fact, Eldin felt disgusted. Though Chanlur meant nothing of ill will.
"I must tell you, you were born under a silver moon, you were destined to have a high level of spiritual power. I do not know much of you but my prayers have revealed that there is a power within you, a true birthright. There is much that goes on here and I want to believe that you are here for a true purpose beyond what I've already told you. I was charged in my true task in Taria, a task known to few, but given to me by the goddess Etha."
Eldin knew the name Etha. It was the same name that he sometimes said in his prayer before but now as he thought about the name, and her statues that were near some of the Elven shrines in the woods outside the castle walls, he again felt sick.
"You know what goes on here is not to the liking of the goddess. I'm here to stop it. Though the death of your mother is not something I foresaw, the moment it happened I knew I had to act. You are one of many children but the only one I could find. I prayed the night before her death that it would be revealed to me and then I saw you. I heard of her death and knew I needed to take you in. Do you understand?"
Eldin did not understand but he nodded instead of admitting that.
"I don't expect you to understand what exactly is going on or your purpose in all of this but you have significant spiritual power, beyond that of myself. I'm a holy man but only a mere student of magic. But not all need it. I have woven my own web for the King and his kind. Much happens, yes. I'm going to disrupt what the King does though I feel that the King has become suspicious. I trust you, Eldin."
This is not a reveal of a greater plot, it is a test of my faithfulness the King.
Eldin stood up. “I will tell the King of your treason. You speak against our Lord, you use the Elven religion and the name of the goddess."
Chanlur jumped to his feet, slapping Eldin with the back of his hand.
"Don't tell me what you think you know. This is not some test of your loyalty. Wake up, see what you need to see. Seize the path that will help countless others. The King has moved in many children to be sold.
“It is of a greater fear that tomorrow night will become a night of bloodshed. In the old religions that have since fallen away, it was a night of sacrifice. A dark night, hallowed to those of evil. I believe he's moved in these children not to sell many of them but to sacrifice them and absorb their power. He sees himself a King of all, but he deserves a blade in his throat.”
Chanlur rubbed his own hand, though Eldin’s face still stung. “That blade will be placed by us. I watched out for you boy. I brought you here and I will continue take care of you once we have deposed this ruler. The elves will move in and I will ensure they have a clear path to break Taria of this evil king once and for all. We have but one moment to save the children or evil will fill these halls. Darkness already does. Keep heart, as the hour draws near, I need you as an ally. We must ensure a pathway to the ship remains open. Tomorrow night when all things transpire, you will go down to the unicorns because I know you're not dumb but you are strong. You were prepared to do what was necessary, to turn a blind eye. Now, you can embrace the true path. A single ship will come into the harbor and you will lead the children to the ship. Get them on and then hide. When all is over I will retrieve you from the depths of the castle. I trust you to do this. Etha will be with us."
Chanlur bowed to him and then departed the room leaving Eldin alone to his thoughts. Though still early, his mind raced and as he lay down on his bed he thought of everything that Chanlur said. He began to think of his righteous deed, to do what was needed tomorrow, and the help he was to give to these many children… but he felt cold.
He thought back to the body of the dead servant and how he knew even then that the body was no servant but a prisoner. He thought back to Chanlur praying and how sick it had made him. Instead, of those memories, he went to sleep dreaming of becoming more affluent in his own mind and the dead that would be because he knew that this coming night would be one of darkness.
Eldin had been laying there struggling to sleep.
Though initially he was tired and closed his eyes, drifting off to a place of dreams, it did not last. What he found instead was the small amount of light that his first night in this place had drawn him up to try to touch, now caused his face to turn. He could not look at it. In fact, his mind kept tracing back to the body and how it reminded him of his mother.
There was a growing feeling within the halls of the castle, and he could not shake it.
He did not want to shake it.
He kept thinking of what Chanlur had told him and of his task to come, it seems simple enough. All he had to do was go down to the lower levels and wait for a ship and then help get the children out of the castle. He did not know what Chanlur was actually going to be doing but considering he was going against the King he expected Chanlur had weapons or something of that sort. But, then again, Eldin was a bit confused as well, he understood that it was wrong for children or people in general to be kept like these were kept but he questioned if the King truly knew. Still, he shook the thought forcing himself to try to sleep a bit longer. He felt as if something was watching him but he could not see anything in the darkness. But, as his eyes slowly closed he felt solace in the truth that there was something watching him.
There was a soft knock on door. He did not know how long he had been sleeping but he opened his eyes and sat up.
"Eldin, it is time."
His master's words were short but firm.
Quickly slipping into his boot, he gathered his things, donning his red robe to look much like his master. As he opened the door Chanlur looked at him and nodded.
"Are you ready?"
Eldin nodded slowly and Chanlur embraced him.
"It is time, it is time to do what we are to do. The gods would not have put you on this path if they did not think you can complete it. We have many friends that are going to help us but I not want you to worry about the events inside the castle. Focus on the ones below, they will be frightened. But as soon as the ship arrives, get them to the ship. Those of the ship will tend to them. Then hide," he said looking in Eldin’s eyes, "I will come for you."
They began making their way to the stairwell and at this moment, passing through the throne room, he realized that almost all the torches of the throne room were out. He thought for a moment that he saw a hooded figure walking some distance away but before he could get a better look, Chanlur forced himself between Eldin and the figure.
You have no right to stand between me and them.
Eldin's random thought was confusing to him. Why was he saying such things? He did not know or understand this.
They came to the door of the stairwell and Eldin took his key unlocking the door and opened it.
"Etha be with you," Chanlur said.
The very name of Etha caused a sick feeling to grow within Eldin’s stomach. He didn't understand why either. He had always heard positive things of Etha, the goddess of the elves… but he took a deep breath and ignored it. Chanlur was not to follow him. His master nodded and shut the door.
He began down and into the dark dungeons of the castle. He came to the hall where he would normally drop apples to each of the ones beneath him but that task had changed.
It was particularly quiet in the castle tonight but even with that he swore he could hear crying again. He made his way out to the subterranean harbor and he noticed that any light that had been here before was gone. Artificial light that was. There were many glowing mushrooms and glowing stones around him. This place was clearly much older than the castle that set atop it and if he found a place to keep watch on the waters he waited for the ship that was promised to come.
Though as he sat there he felt no fear. In fact, of all the nights since his mother's death and the time he spent on the streets, he felt the calmness and the safest in the blackness of the deep night. He felt as if family was not too far away. Though he wasn't sure why he would feel such a thing considering the only family he knew was dead.
As he sat there, he closed his eyes and began to try to pray as his mother used to tell him to but instead of seeing the white face the great goddess, he felt something older. Stronger.
Still as he wandered through his own mind he thought about the fact that Chanlur had said he was special. There seemed to be something within him that was beyond the mere boy that everyone saw, in fact he felt there were two somethings, two voices.
One was that of a small boy that would create beautiful drawings for his mother, that would smash berries on a simple plank of wood, he could still hear her laugh.
He could still see her coughing on her own blood, as the life left her eyes. Such a horrible thing to see the death of a loved one. But that was the little boy in his mind. That was not the voice of power that he felt, the comforting glare of the darkness, that which gave him strength to put him along a different path. It wasn't his fault, of course. When he was no older than three winters his mother had told him he had fallen sick and that a witch in the woods had assisted his mother in chasing the sickness from his body. He could still feel her ragged hand on his back, speaking her words of magic.
Oh, how weak she was.
He never knew his father but that was because his father was not some highborn Lord who had simply abandoned his bastard in the woods, nor had he fallen in battle in some faraway place defend the rights of people. No, his father was only there for a night at most. His mother had never told him but he had heard the whispers. There was no love in his creation. There was tastiness, drunkenness, terror. But his mother had always tried to build a better life for him. That is why they had come to Taria. It was considered one of the safest places outside of the capital cities of the East.
The waters of the harbor were disturbed, shifting and splashing in the rocks in the darkness and the veiled outline of the ship. It became apparent that he could not see the full vessel, he could only see the red coals from what would have been torches on the ship itself. No doubt, they were doused prior to getting close the ’castle so they would not be seen. This was the way out for the children.
He stood up, looking back towards the sea where the children awaited. He was becoming drenched in sweat and his hands shook as he began towards his betrayal of the King.
In his mind he thought to himself these were just unicorns. As he walked down the long line of cold dark cells looking into each of them the weeping became louder and the many prisoners cried out to him.
"Please,” one of them said
"Help us!" said another.
They were so desperate, so desperate to do anything to get out of their situation. Just a few more moments and they would be safe. He could save them and do something truly good. He saw a rotten apple that had come down from above. Rolling once it hit the cell floor slipping out to the bars on the other side, becoming a horrible torture for the occupant inside. In fact, it was so horrible that it appeared the occupant succumbed to her hunger. He picked up the apple without any hesitation and bit into the rotten flesh. He spit it out into another cell.
The woman inside the cell scurried to grab the apple and Eldin took a deep breath.
"They're all just unicorns."
"Out.” He did not open any latches or unhinge any doors, he just left.
There are no children here. Only unicorns. But there is a traitor in the castle.
If those upon the vessel that came to save the children that were not here could see him, he was not sure. But he just kept repeating to himself there are no children, they’re only unicorns. His nervousness fell away. His honor, as he saw it, was strong. He must warn the King that there was a traitor in their midst. He was placed here by another power to protect the King from the reach of the Elven goddess. In truth, he relished in the power afforded to him. The power of control, power, and the same bubbling string that he had that night he choked his mother to death.
The two voices were gone. He heard only one. The voice that told him in the night for the last few years that he could rise above his place in the world. The one that told him to capture the field mice and cut off their heads.
His mother had found the heads that he had collected and claimed she was going to take him to the elves so they could purge him of the sickness again.
But that night, the night of his mother's death, he had decided that he needed nothing purged. Why? Why purge that which gave him power.
He hurried up the stairwell and as he emerged into the other side he realized the throne room had been converted to something else entirely. He no longer saw the walls instead he only saw the site of floating green crystals hovering in the corners of the room. But his attention had been diverted away from the dozens of black cloaked individuals standing only arms reach away from him. One was looking directly at him, an emanating presence rolling off of this person's body but did not cause any fear or coldness. This was family. As soon as he began to step forward a great light shined ahead and he saw a statue of a horned figure with two great arms that went out just like his except the fingers became like tentacles. A smell of blood in the air and stacked corpses directly next to the statue the seemed to be drawing him closer with each breath he took. One of the two hooded figures near the statue threw down his hood and Eldin saw the King.
"You are Chanlur's servant, why are you here? Speak before the blood of the dark goddess is cast upon you. Speak before your eyes are drawn out of your head!"
Eldin was not afraid. He knelt just before the great statue.
"My King, I come into your service and I am thankful for it. I have taken action to protect your life and to protect our way of life here."
"What action?" Another figure said. This one was standing directly next the King.
Eldin didn't know this person. He stood up reaching out a single hand and feeling that this central figure had a great level of power.
"You're a high priest of the old god, are you not?" Eldin asked.
Though he did not know how he actually knew this. He was not speaking as he once was but as he would be. As the power that had been growing within him surged the warmest sensations he had ever felt floated over his body.
"That is true," the man said.
"I did not know when Chanlur brought this boy here that your own perception was correct, priest,” the King said.
The priest removed his own covering and went down to Eldin.
"You were right to come here. You've been drawn into the fire of that of the old god, I can feel his hand upon your heart." He looked back to the King. “The energies of our Lord are strong upon this one. The priest looked back to Eldin, "Who's your father?"
"My father is the darkness, the intoxicating force of lust."
The King now came towards Eldin but he did not look at the King. Instead, he stared at the great statue of the god. The King looked back at the statue and then to Eldin.
"What is it you wish to say, why have you come here?"
"Someone sought to steal our unicorns, sir. I have ensured that they are safe. And I must tell you that the one who claimed to be my master, the man that wears red robes like mine is a traitor to you.”
The King's eyes looked up and suddenly there were blinding flashes from within the crowd of those assembled. Streaking lights struck just near the King, one of them hitting the priest. But even so, even though the priest was injured, he lifted his hands and made a gripping motion.
The attackers were drawn out of the crowd as Eldin looked up to see the statue's eyes flashed red. It was in that moment the priest held aloft four figures and the fires around the statue began to grow bright. In the arms of the statue he saw a bleeding child.
He smiled and cackled looking at the squirming would be assassins. They were elves. As one of them went to speak, his face began to bleed and he convulsed before dropping to the ground. The two remaining elves said something, casting energy towards one of the three of them with a glowing emblem of the goddess Etha around their neck. This one said something in elvish before drawing a small dagger and breaking the grasp the priest had on her.
She ran jumping for the priest but the King swung his blade, burying his sword deep into her flesh piercing through her armor and out her back.
The two remaining elves were still suspended in the air.
"Do you wish to question them, King?" the dark priest inquired.
"No, thanks. Because of the wisdom of our servant here we know exactly who is to blame. Draw their blood out for our Lord and we will seek out the one who has truly betrayed us this night.”
Eldin did not have to say anything else. And without any actual command those that were gathered in the hall began the search for his initial master. But not him. Not Eldin. He instead did not even follow the King as the King went about looking for Chanlur. Eldin stood with the priest as he brought each of his two captive elves to the altar of the dark God. He dragged off the corpse of the child from the hands of the god and used his powers to move the two elves on to the altar.
"I sense your power, boy. But know it is not just the power within you but the power that has split you in two. Was it mice or was it birds?" the priest asked.
"Mice,” Eldin said.
"Good, good. Then you embrace the greater hand. It means your initial possession was much stronger." The priest nodded along drawing out a large silver knife and suspending it there with just his hand. "Soon, I will get to work with you on delicate procedures such as this. The King is a fool. But a fool is easily led if you simply show a few sleight-of-hand tricks.
“I am building something great, my child. I have created many such as you and I will continue to do so. Mothers are truly strong when you bathe in their blood… is it not empowering?" The priest said, smiling as the blade began to pierce over and over into the ancient flesh of the wood elves who unbeknownst to them had offered themselves as sacrifices with their planned treachery. Blood gushed all over the hands of the statue.
Eldin was where he was meant to be. His true family realized.
It was only a few moments more before he heard the shouts and clamor of battle and a few more moments after that when Chanlur was dragged into the room before the priest, before the statue of the dark god and before Eldin.
"What?" Chanlur said. "We were so close, so close to saving the children! I have spent years trying to reach this point. You are the one, you were the one that was meant to take us from this place. All the paths led to this time and place for me to be done with this vile evil! Why have you betrayed me? Why have you betrayed the children? Why not bring them into the light?"
The King and the priest looked at Eldin and Eldin reach back taking hold of a small dagger on the altar before the statue. He flipped it in his hand several times before walking directly up to Chanlur who was bound by his hands and feet and thrown before him.
"But master Chanlur, what do you speak of? The unicorns must remain in the dark. You’re a friend of my mother, right. Have faith and rejoice to your goddess, you will be reunited with her soon.”
Chanlur looked out. Staring at the statue before him, and the dark god reawakened in a world that he had thought had forgotten the old ways. Chanlur had tried to do something to honor his goddess, he had thought that Etha led him to a child to take his mantle in the service of the elven goddess..
But as the great King and his priest looked upon the very child the Chanlur had rescued from the streets, Chanlur knew he made a mistake that he would not make again.
As the first bite of Eldin's dagger nicked his neck he cringed in pain feeling the warm dribble of his own blood going down his throat. He began to cry and thought that perhaps this boy he had saved would pause but at that moment he saw the of red in the boys eyes. A new priest of the dark god was reborn, a demon in physical form. No power of the goddess could save Chanlur now.